


serenity of the dawn

by grilledcheezer



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Varian and the Seven Kingdoms
Genre: I Tried, M/M, Varigo - Freeform, alchemy boyfriends tee hee, i can't write fluff okay?, i love these two, prompt things, some mild angstian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:01:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23616397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grilledcheezer/pseuds/grilledcheezer
Summary: Hugo can't sleep. Plagued by a recurring nightmare, he decides to escape the confines of the campsite to clear his mind.
Relationships: varian/hugo
Comments: 24
Kudos: 153





	1. serenity of the dawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO! 
> 
> Here's a lil fluff piece for the secret prompt exchange we did on the fantabulous Varigo Discord server <3  
> Please excuse my lack of experience in writing romance PFFT
> 
> Prompt: Sleepy Morning
> 
> ~All Questions, Comments, & Criticisms Welcome!:D

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Hugo awoke in a cold sweat, his chest heaving as his lungs searched for the air they so desperately lacked. His body trembled, and the hot, sticky air inside the tent clung to his bare skin like honey. Hugo’s thoughts were muddled. _Was he still dreaming?_

He looked around, only to find stars dancing across his line of vision. The walls around him were closing in, and the suffocating atmosphere only contributed to his growing sense of claustrophobia. He felt a strong urge to escape the man-made enclosure, and before he knew it, Hugo found himself grabbing a shirt from the corner of the tent as he slipped out into the quiet dawn. 

Upon crossing the threshold, he stood up on shaky legs as he let the coolness of the air encompass him. He blinked at the sudden exposure to natural light, and his ears picked up on the distant chirping of birds. It was early; the shards of orange peeking through the trees and the sky’s hue seemed to indicate that it couldn’t have been past six in the morning. 

With his breathing stabilized and his heart rate finally calmed, Hugo walked precariously towards the surrounding trees. As he proceeded past the small cluster of tents, his steps were muffled and careful; he didn’t want to risk rousing the rest of the group. 

Aside from the threats he was certain he’d receive from Nuru, Hugo didn’t want to wake the others because he wasn’t in the mood to put on another one of his facades. He loathed the thought of forcing himself to plaster a smile onto his face at a time when his insides felt as if they had been wrung out by a pair of cold, unforgiving hands. 

His nightmare had left him feeling unsettled, and all he wanted to do was deflate the anxiety that had ballooned inside of him. So, Hugo snuck away from the campsite, silent as the grave. 

He only allowed his hushed tiptoeing to morph into rhythmic footsteps once he could make out a clearing through the gaps in-between branches. As he approached, Hugo recognized the place as the one that Varian had pointed out before the group had set up camp deep in the forest. 

_“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”_

He’d whispered so softly that Hugo had just _barely_ managed to catch the words that had escaped his lips. The alchemist had had a strange expression on his face, as he’d stared out at the cerulean surface of the river before them. What had it been, sadness? Nostalgia, perhaps? Despite his lengthy contemplation, Hugo hadn’t quite been able to decipher what it was. 

The lanky blonde slowly made his way towards the water. The serenity of the scene was enough to put him at ease, and he already forgot about the visions that had haunted him less than a quarter of an hour ago. Hugo closed his eyes, sighing in relief as the brisk wind tickled the back of his neck. He stayed like that for a while, standing on the outskirts of the river, as the stillness of the morning washed over him and cleansed his mind. 

It wasn’t until he turned around to start his short trek back to the campsite that he noticed the small lump leaned against a rock not too far away. Hugo squinted, his eyes widening as he realized just what — no, _who_ — he was looking at. 

He strolled towards the rock, careful not to make any sudden noises so as not to disturb the form propped up against its hard surface. When he reached it, Hugo glanced down at the younger boy before him. His sunken eyes were gazing out onto the open water, unwavering even as the blonde sat down next to him. 

Whether Varian had known he was there all along or had only just noticed his presence, Hugo didn’t know. The pair sat there in quietude, neither acknowledging the other’s existence as they mutually relished in the tranquility of the dawn. Finally, after several minutes, it was Varian who broke the silence. 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” 

Hugo flinched, momentarily startled by the sound of the alchemist’s voice. Then, a pause. Varian spoke again.

“Hugo…what are you _doing_ out here?” 

“I could ask you the same question.”

Varian chuckled. Although there was a smile on his lips, Hugo could tell it didn’t quite reach his eyes. And, now that he was taking a closer look at him, Varian’s current state alarmed him. His normally bright blue eyes were now a dulled grey, and his skin looked as if it was a shade lighter than usual. His paleness was even more prominent as it contrasted with his messy black hair and the dark circles underneath his eyes. 

The more Hugo stared at him, the more concerned he became. When was the last time Varian had slept? Was he taking care of himself? The urge to reach out and embrace him was overwhelming, but Hugo shook the thought away when he felt his suppressed nightmare resurfacing from the depths of his mind. He couldn’t do that; he had _no right._

“I just…I like the view,” Varian responded hesitantly. “It helps, when I can’t sleep.”

“Insomnia?” Hugo inquired casually, desperately trying to keep the worry out of his tone. If Varian took note of his slip, he made no acknowledgement of it.

“Yeah. I uh…just, mostly nightmares,” he admitted sheepishly. “It’s nothing though. Just a new twist on the recurring ones I have.” 

“Wait, recurring ones?” Hugo had completely dropped the act now, and his voice was laced with concern. “Like what?”

“It’s nothing, really!” Varian reassured him half-heartedly. “Just some…some reminders of stuff I’ve done. The bad stuff.”

Hugo’s heart dropped. Varian had recounted his story to him before; he’d told him about the amber, how he’d attacked his friends in a blind fury, and helped the Sapporians in their attempt to take over the kingdom. He’d even told him of the other events that had transpired after he’d realigned himself with Corona. 

The way he was initially treated by angry citizens. 

Cassandra drugging and kidnapping him in order to learn the incantation. 

The nightmarish experience he’d had with Zhan Tiri. 

Accidentally encasing Cassandra in the amber, thereby being at fault for her final attack on Corona. 

It had been a lot for Hugo to process, and he couldn’t even begin to fathom what it must have been like to _live_ through it all. Excluding the time when he’d first heard the full story, Varian never once brought up his traumatic past. Hugo had believed it to be because he’d long gotten over it, and simply didn’t feel the need to revisit the events. But he realized now how _stupidly_ wrong he was. It had been years since everything had transpired, yet Varian was still having nightmares that were undoubtedly causing him to feel distressed. _And Hugo hadn’t noticed._

A warm touch brought him out of his stupor. He looked down to find a gloved hand resting on his arm. 

“How about you?” Varian asked softly, blue-grey orbs gazing intently into jade ones. “What brings you out here?”

Hugo’s answer — _the truth_ — was on the tip of his tongue. But then he saw it.

_Varian, discovering his allegiance to Donella._

_Varian, furious and heartbroken over his betrayal._

_Varian, cold and unforgiving as he leaves him behind forever._

Memories of the nightmare he had been recently plagued with utterly consumed Hugo’s mind, blocking out any rationality he still had left. The mere thought of being abandoned by the alchemist terrified him; odd as it was for someone who had spent the majority of his life on his own, Hugo had come to realize that he simply _couldn’t live_ without Varian. 

He wasn’t sure when it had happened, but the pair had formed a unique bond. It was much more than friendship; Hugo often found himself thinking of the younger boy more times than he cared to admit. He also knew that, if anything ever happened to him, he would be out of his mind with worry. He wanted, _so desperately_ , to tell Varian everything. 

But Hugo couldn’t face the possibility of losing him. Not now, at least. 

Not when everything had been going so well. 

So, he did the only thing he could. He lied.

“I was looking for you, Goggles,” Hugo responded coolly. “I saw that you were gone, and I wanted to make sure you hadn’t tripped on a stick and accidentally died or something.”

Varian laughed, the corners of his mouth crinkling upwards to reveal a toothy smile. “Well, you found me. And I am surprisingly _not dead._ ”

“ _Yet_ ,” Hugo teased as he raised an eyebrow at the pouting alchemist. 

He continued snickering as Varian opened his mouth, preparing to retort with a snarky comeback of his own. But before he could even get a word out, a yawn overpowered his attempt to speak. Hugo stopped laughing, his expression turning serious as he observed the boy beside him. 

“When’s the last time you slept?”

Varian rubbed his eyes, pondering the question for a moment. “Uhh…I mean, last night I guess…”

“No,” Hugo corrected. “I meant, the last time you had _proper rest_.”

Varian sighed. “It’s uh…been a good while, actually,” he admitted reluctantly. 

Hugo shook his head, leaning back against the rock. His arm brushed against Varian’s, and the electric tingle he experienced from the slight contact was enough to send his heart racing. He looked straight ahead, ignoring the slight blush that was beginning to creep onto his features. Hugo nearly squeaked in surprise when he felt the weight of Varian’s head drop onto his shoulder.

“I’ll...take a short nap, then…if that’s okay…” Varian mumbled tiredly, his eyes already closing as he leaned in further, one hand landing on top of the blonde’s quivering one. 

He was _so close,_ yet Hugo could feel the invisible boundary line they had yet to cross. He couldn’t tell him; not now, at least. Not when everything was so _perfect._ He gazed out onto the clear water, the rising sun reflecting in its smooth, ominous surface. Hugo would tell Varian everything eventually; he just needed more time. More time to process. More time to trust. 

_He still had time._

He turned away from the scene before him to look down at the quiet figure of the boy resting on his shoulder, blissfully unaware of Hugo’s inner turmoil. He felt the movement of Varian’s chest as it heaved slowly with every intake of breath. 

Hugo himself then took a deep breath, exhaling the answer to a question he didn’t know he had been holding in.

“Yes.”

“Hm?” Varian murmured, his face buried in the fabric of Hugo’s shirt and his mind already half-asleep.

“It really _is_ beautiful,” Hugo whispered. He rested his cheek against the top of Varian’s head, closing his eyes to the world around him as he allowed the dreamscape to take hold of his mind for the second time that day. 

Only this time, neither Varian nor Hugo were subjected to any sort of nightmare, and the pair drifted off into a peaceful sleep. 

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i uh  
> really have never written fluffy/romantic stuff so  
> you can annihilate me in the comments, but not COMPLETELY, please xD
> 
> EDIT: Hi this is me nearly a month after this was initially published, just here to SCREEEEEEE into the void because an absolutely phenomenal artist made art for this and I'm — just at a loss for words right now?! Never had anyone draw art for something I've written, let alone such an talented person so like AAAAAAHH I'm going to stop gushing & link y'all to the piece that has me SOBBING (ಥ﹏ಥ) —
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/p/B_6QXr1JLTM/


	2. our spot by the shore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YES I KNOW I SAID THIS WAS A ONE SHOT, AND I STAND BY THAT STATEMENT!!!  
> I was just in a sad mood tonight (or, well, at 2am) so I wrote a suuuuuper duper short (potential) angsty ending for this.
> 
> WARNING: If you wanna keep this story nice n fluffy in your mind, TURN BACK NOW. Keep that happy(ish?) ending & don't read these 300 words. Proceed with caution. (づ￣ ³￣)づ

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

How long had it been now?

Hugo looked out onto the tranquil water, opalescent waves crashing softly against the sand.

Fleeting rays of sunlight enveloped him in their comforting warmth as the freckled blonde watched the blazing star in the sky descend. He’d waded into the cool water, shoes and all, not noticing — or perhaps, simply not caring about — the discomfort brought by damp clothes as they clung to lanky limbs. 

He’d come here not long after it happened. 

Like a sleepless corpse, he’d wandered aimlessly for hours before stumbling upon the familiar clearing. Hugo had stayed there for a while, simply staring at the melancholic scene with dulled eyes.

He couldn’t remember ever moving, but he’d woken up the next morning curled up against a rock near the shore. 

He spent countless days in that glade.

Day after day, night after night, Hugo remained as unmoving as the rock he slept close to. His dreams were haunted by sweet memories before they were yanked out from underneath him like a rug, slivers of reality slipping their way into his visions.

He’d wake up in a panic, arms reaching out for the ghost of something that was no longer there. 

There was no comfort anymore, no loving silence, in that spot by the shore. _Their_ spot.

Hugo closed his eyes, taking a few more steps as the water sloshed up to his knees now. He could still hear his voice, that quirky laugh reverberating within the chambers of his pained heart. The wind picked up now and with it came the soft brush of a hand against his cheek. 

How long had it been by now? Days? Weeks? He didn’t know.

But as he stood there amidst the crashing waves, Hugo let the tears fall freely and he cried for the boy he never thought he’d love. 

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes he dead 
> 
> I.have.a.problem.  
> I can't just leave fluff alone, I gotta make it angsty xD
> 
> At least it's an optional ending this time!;)


End file.
